


Monsters Talk

by blueswan



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-06
Updated: 2013-03-06
Packaged: 2017-12-04 10:37:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/709815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueswan/pseuds/blueswan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fred will only talk to Angel about her experiences in Pylea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monsters Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in September 2004.

Monsters Talk

Even in the quiet times, Gunn liked to keep track of everyone, know where everyone was and what they were doing. Part of keeping your team alive - lessons he'd learned long before he'd ever met Angel. So. Cordy was breezing through a mail-order catalogue - very upscale Gunn was sure. Wes was deep in his books, scribbling notes in minuscule writing and muttering dire threats at some dead guy. Where were the others? He looked up from polishing a nick out of the ax-head. Just glanced long enough to see the door to Angel's office wide open, and Fred perched on the desk.

Gunn hefted the ax and checked his sleeve, casually drifted toward the office doorway. Listened to the up and down as she told Angel yet another memory of Pylea that she wouldn't share with Gunn. Fred sat cross-legged, posture perfect - body conscious in her shy way - and leaning toward Angel. A lean length of girl framed between Angel's shoulders. Angel, who remained motionless and not breathing two feet from her neck.

Gunn started forward when Fred's voice dropped to a whisper, as she cried through fingers that hid and sheltered her. Angel's face didn't change expression, he offered no comfort to Fred. He simply waited for her to continue. Gunn felt a flush of anger sweep up his body, and must have moved; Angel looked across the room, but not at him, it was Wes Angel saw. As always, Wes intervened at these moments, stopped Gunn from further upsetting Fred.

Wes was the one who was always there when this happened. It was Wes that tugged Gunn away from door upon door. Whenever Fred's nightmare overflowed into the light and Angel listened; whenever Gunn didn't think he could stand another second of Fred's tears. It was Wes who explained that Fred went to Angel because he understood. Each time Gunn protested, and each time Wes tried to help him understand.

"He doesn't tell her it's over, he doesn't promise she is safe, he doesn't tell her not to think about it. Charles, he is her confessor, her counselor, and her guardian. He doesn't react or reflect anything back on her - he absorbs it, blots it up. She needs him to be those things for her. You - we aren't losing her. She doesn't need us for that, to be those things. She needs us to be her friends "

And Gunn knew this - every time they had this little pep talk Gunn got it. Still, he glanced across the lobby to the open office door. The place where Fred spilled her secrets to a dead man she trusted more than she did him.

Wes followed his gaze, and slipped an arm around his shoulder. Offered a comfort Gunn would have given anything for a year ago. Charles let himself smile at Wes, and felt the tension drain out of them both. Started and slid from under Wesley's arm, when Cordelia dropped her magazine.

"Too many Mr. Sensitives here. Let's get out and leave them to talk about - whatever. Want to catch a movie? Gunn, you can buy the popcorn."


End file.
